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This site is the inspiration of a former reporter/photographer for one of New England's largest daily newspapers and for various magazines. The intent is to direct readers to interesting political articles, and we urge you to visit the source sites. Any comments may be noted on site or directed to KarisChaf at gmail.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

The World Wide Web turned 25 on March 12, and two days later, the Obama administration decided that eh, it had a good run.

The Commerce Department announced Friday that it will relinquish control
of the international non-profit Internet Corporation for Assigned Names
and Numbers, which controls much of the Internet architecture.
The administration said U.S. control over the Internet was supposed
to be temporary and eventually turned over to a “global Internet
community.”

“This is all about ... separating the Internet from government control,” former Commerce Secretary Cameron Kerry said.
“And the United States is in the strongest position to argue against
government control of the Internet if it relinquishes that last little
bit of control that it has.”

Some, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, brought up the possibility that giving up control could lead to “foreign dictatorships defining the Internet.”

“Giving up control of ICANN will allow countries like China and Russia that don't place the same value in freedom of speech to better define how the Internet looks and operates,” Blackburn told National Journal.

Experts chimed in as well.
Daniel Castro, senior analyst at the Information Technology and
Innovation Foundation, said, “if the Obama administration gives away its
oversight of the Internet, it will be gone forever.”

China and Russia both censor Internet use in their countries —
primarily free speech. China has the added tyranny of social media
censorship.

Consider the implications if one of these countries jumped in and seized control of the Internet. What would Facebook, Twitter and reddit become? Would they continue to be the bastions of free-flowing ideas (and conspiracy theories) they are currently?

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